Meet the Stewarts

The good news: William Holden and Frances Dee make a perfectly believable couple, and the Wicked Witch's brief turn as a maid was a pleasant surprise.

But the plot wasn't credible, with the wife constantly keeping secrets from her husband for no clear reason other than to hold the story together. And the bit at the end, where the moving man casually admits that he regularly beats his wife and she bails him out and apologizes to him later, was creepy even for the era. (And keep in mind that the script was written by a woman.)

And what was the deal with the strawberries at the end? Did I miss something?

I guess this is one of those movies that people watched in the pre-television era, when they were starved for entertainment and wanted to get out. Fortunately, we have more options now.

From the first moment to the last, this was perfectly delightful!! Holden and Dee really make this one work as the handsome newlyweds that are trying desperately to stay within their meager budget. Watching them, one "almost" yearns for that awkward adjustment period that succeeds marriage. This pairing of stars really works too. They've got tons of chemistry that really helps one believe their story and has you rooting for them to make it work. There are tons of movies out there with this same premise but they often turn into yawners. This one was the exception for me. Their quirky antics kept it fresh and I found myself smiling throughout.

Living within a budget just about sums up the entire plot line of this feeble little domestic comedy, MEET THE STEWARTS, which serves to show WILLIAM HOLDEN and FRANCES DEE as a squabbling young couple who dive into marriage without enough money to finance her extravagant ways.

Dee is pretty but plays a rather flighty housewife, sweet but a bit unreasonable in some of her temperamental outbursts. Holden has the sort of "Smilin' Jim" roles he came to detest in time, but does an acceptable job that reveals an early flair for comedy.

There's strong support from a cast that includes ANNE REVERE, GRANT WITHERS and ANNE GILLIS, but a very unfunny role for MARGARET HAMILTON as an inept maid.

Summing up: Never rises above being more than a formula programmer that gives Holden and Dee a chance to make an early impression.

As I sat and watched "Meet the Stewarts", I couldn't help but feel annoyed. So much of the story revolves around a spoiled rich girl who is simply annoying--at least that's how my wife and I felt as we watched.

The film begins with a love-struck young man, Michael (William Holden) approaching Candace's father (Grant Mitchell) to ask his permission to marry her. However, the father is NOT happy to give his blessing and vows to cut off his daughter (Frances Dee) from her very extravagant lifestyle if she marries Michael. Well, she marries anyway--knowing full well that she'll have to economize and live like a normal person. However, throughout the film, this spoiled housewife continually overspends and simply ignores their financial situation. As for Michael, he's an idiot, as although he lectures her about economizing, every time she cries he simply gives in to her. This sort of thing is supposed to be funny. I found it grating and a bit insulting since the US had just come out of the Depression. Also grating was that Candace could do NOTHING right when it came to housework--nothing. Again, it was supposed to be funny but wore thin after a while.

If you haven't guessed, I didn't like this film at all. It's a waste of several talented actors--particularly Holden who, oddly, has the screen presence of a zucchini. Making a film about a rich lady giving it all up to marry a working class guy could have worked--but making the wife THIS vacuous, selfish and ineffectual strained credibility well beyond the breaking point. Candace is unlikable to the point where I wanted to see Michael belt her!! No, I am NOT endorsing spousal abuse--though the film DOES late in the picture! Finally, I agree with several of the other reviewers who felt this plot was more like a TV episode stretched to movie length. Overall, an annoying film with little to commend it.

An inspired portrait of the first steps in marriage. And a seductive young couple. It could be a moral lesson or a seductive comedy. But it use the humor in wise manner and propose a real interesting image of compromises, adaptation to reality, essence of family. And , sure, beautiful performances. A young William Holden and charming Frances Dee. Seductive work of Anne Revere and beautiful story. One of good examples why the old movies are, in deep sense, unique.